The word to DeWyze is deficient

Cornelison to sing anthem at Bears game

The Chicago Bears still have to face the Green Bay Packers this Sunday in the NFC title game, but they already have won one off the field.

At the club's urging, the NFL on Tuesday bumped "American Idol" winner Lee DeWyze from his scheduled spot as the national anthem singer for the historic showdown, football officials said.

Instead, fan favorite Jim Cornelison, who regularly sings "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Chicago Blackhawks games, will take center stage before the game.

"He does a tremendous job, and our fans love him and the team really responds to his anthem," Bears spokesman Scott Hagel said.

The NFL selects the anthem singers weeks before it's known which teams will be playing in the championship game.

"At one point, (DeWyze) was the person to do the anthem," NFL spokeswoman Joanna Hunter said.

But after discussions Monday between the Bears and Fox, which will televise the game, the NFL decided to offer the coveted position to Cornelison "in order to accommodate the Bears and their fans," Hunter said.

Cornelison, who has become something of a local celebrity since the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup last year, sang the national anthem Sunday in the divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, prompting enthusiastic roars from the crowd and reviews from fans.

"I got chills just listening to it last weekend," said Andrea Rapp, a lifelong Bears fan who lives in Grayslake. "Jim Cornelison is a part of Chicago now. He is ingrained in our culture."

The NFL never officially announced that DeWyze would sing "The Star-Spangled Banner." But a Twitter feed from the Mount Prospect native Monday, indicating he might be coming to Chicago to sing the national anthem at the Bears game, prompted mass speculation, rumors and worries from fans hoping to hear Cornelison again.

"It worked for the Hawks last year, it worked against Seattle and we'd like to see that keep going," Bears fan Jeff Kolozsy said.

The club is working with DeWyze to perform at halftime, but nothing had been finalized as of Tuesday evening.

Cornelison said the Bears e-mailed him with the news Tuesday. "I'm thrilled," he said when reached by phone. "This is kind of a walk-in-the-clouds night."